


Catch Me

by xxfergiexx



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Crack, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance, Smut, merman au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 15:37:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3534830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxfergiexx/pseuds/xxfergiexx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Changmin, a reclusive songwriter meets a supposed mythological creature that his mind, body, and soul will never be able to escape. It's all Kyuhyun's fault, really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch Me

**Author's Note:**

> Blame absolutely _everything_ on [this brilliant piece of fanart by dumbandconfused](http://dumbandconfused.tumblr.com/post/65534755590/if-you-were-not-expecting-me-to-draw-this-after)
> 
> Big thanks to HUMUHUMU88 for the beta!
> 
> Translated in Russian here: https://ficbook.net/readfic/4758058

 

 

Changmin takes a swing of his beer as he leans back in his plastic fold-up chair. The salty mist of the sea cools his face from the heat of the sun. He has a fishing pole in his other hand, lazily waiting for fish to bite.

 

It’s been an hour and he wants dinner.

 

Fishing is certainly not a recreational sport for a lonely bachelor such as himself. Changmin owns a small house looking out onto the bay of Busan. In Busan, there are plenty of fish markets to load up on all the fish you can eat.

 

"There's something primitive about hunting your own food," Kyuhyun said to him.

 

"But we're _not_ in primitive times anymore," Changmin rolled his eyes. "I can afford quality seafood from the market."

 

"Try it. You won't regret it."

 

And so here he is, like a sitting duck, _waiting_ for his dinner even though the market is only ten minutes away. Not to mention, he'll have to clean the fish and cook it and...

 

God damn it, why did he listen to Kyuhyun?

 

He hears his phone jingle so he sets his beer down to check the text message.

 

_Incoming message from Kyu: See any yet?_

 

Pissed off, Changmin texts back with one hand: _Fuck you. It's been an hour and not one bite!_

 

A moment later, there's a response: _Dude, give it some time, I promise. Something will tug on your rod..._

 

Changmin smirks despite his annoyance and typed: _Horny bastard. Go get laid._

 

Kyuhyun doesn't miss a beat. _I'm not the one that desperately needs to get laid, Mr. Women-Are-Too-High-Maintenance._

 

_I'm done with you. Stop texting me. Leave me in peace so I can waste more time out here._

 

_Patience, Changmin! Something magical might come biting!_

 

Changmin drops his phone on his bag in disgust. Something magical...ha!

 

Just as he looks up onto the horizon, the fishing rod bends and the string jerks further into the water. Changmin jumps up, steadies himself with legs spread out and feet flat on the dock before he starts to reels in his first catch.

 

Damn. It's really heavy. What the hell did he catch, a small shark?

 

He tugs harder, pulls with all his might as his arm and leg muscles strain to fight with the creature trying to escape the hook of his fishing rod. After a few minutes of a tug-a-war, the creature stops fighting and a tuft of bright, red hair surfaces. Along with a bloodied wrist tangled in fishing rope.

 

This is no fish; it's a man.

 

Changmin's eyes bug out, jaw slack. "H-Hey, dude, what're you doing in the water?"

 

The man tilts his face up, pain etched across handsome, pixish features. As more of the man's body is revealed, Changmin's gaze flickers down to the two yellow starfish decorating the man's pectorals. And lower there's a...what - ?

 

Unbelievable, part of a scaly, turquoise fish tail curved up out of the water, glistening from the rays of the sun.

 

He caught a merman!

 

It's not possible...creatures like this don't exist outside of books and movies. Changmin kicks his cooler full of beer with the side of his foot, cursing the manufacturers for selling him a hallucinogen.

 

His phone jingles again. Changmin grasps the fishing rod tighter, refusing to release the merman. He needs to get to the bottom of this fairytale-fuckery. Maybe he fell asleep after texting with Kyuhyun...

 

Oh no...Kyuhyun told him: _Something magical might come biting!_

 

The bastard must have known these creatures exist in this bay for him to suggest something as absurd as fishing for food. He's been set up to discover this; he feels it in his gut. _Why not just tell me, Kyuhyun?_

 

The merman cries out and clutches his bloodied wrist with his other hand, watching Changmin warily through his wavy bangs.

 

As if approaching a skittish deer, Changmin stands to walk to the edge of the dock, very careful not to tug on the strings of the rod and cause further damage to the creature's wrist. The merman gasps and ducks underneath the water, red hair the only part visible on the surface of the water.

 

Voice shaky, Changmin calls out softly, "Please, let me untie you. Your wrist must be hurting you greatly."

 

The turquoise scales of the merman's fin glitters beneath the water too, as the creature swims towards the dock. The redhead comes up, using the edge of the dock to keep himself steady as he presents Changmin with his injured wrist.

 

It's beyond touching, how easily the creature trusted him. What if Changmin happens to be a greedy fisherman scheming to capture the presumed mythical creature and sell his body parts to the highest bidder?

 

"This is incredible," Changmin mutters, reaching down to clasp the merman's arm and pull it up to inspect the damage up close.

 

Fuck. The thick fishing wire is wrapped so tightly around the delicate bone, scraping and breaking the skin in a spiral shape. Changmin hisses at the drop of blood that oozes out, painting the white string.

 

Quickly, he fishes out the all-purpose pocket knife from one of the front compartments of his vest. He first uses the sharpest tool to cut the string from the fishing rod, throwing the rod away from him afterwards.

 

This move seems to loosen the tangled spiral around the merman's wrist. The creature immediately attempted to claw at the rest of the strings but only ended up in agonized pain by aggravating the flesh cuts.

 

"No! Don't do that!" Changmin scolds.

 

The merman scowls at him but remains silent as Changmin lowers to lie on his stomach and reaches down over the dock to very gently unravel the tangled wire.

 

He asks, "How'd you get yourself caught like this anyway?"

 

The merman stares at him without a reply but stops scowling. Only occasionally wincing when the wire scraped his cuts.

 

"Are you mute?" Changmin teases.

 

The scowl is back.

 

"I'll take that as a no."

 

It takes a while to untangle all the wire. Changmin has to even cut more bits and pieces of it before the merman is finally freed.

 

"There. All done."

 

The merman lets out a noncommittal noise, then proceeds to _lick_ at the bloodied cuts.

 

"No! That's not how you properly sterilize them!" Changmin grabs the merman's hand.

 

A long turquoise fin comes out of the water then flops back down, splashing seawater in Changmin's face. As Changmin sits up, coughing and sputtering, the merman slyly slips out of his grasp.

 

When he wipes all the salt water from his eyes, Changmin catches the moment the merman winks at him and swims off into the horizon.

 

The first thing Changmin does when he arrives back at his house - with no dinner - is call Kyuhyun and demand he come over.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me there's merpeople in the bay?"

 

Kyuhyun's tone is laced with sarcasm as he steps into the house. "Well, obviously, if I had told you, you would have thought I was pulling your dick. But if you saw yourself...so, what did you see, a merman or mermaid?"

 

Changmin grumbles the response, "A merman. Red hair, starfish on his tits. Green tail. Idiotic enough to get caught on my fishing hook. Likes to scowl at me."

 

Voice filled with laughter, Kyuhyun says, "Cute. What's his name?"

 

"He didn't tell me. He didn't even speak. But I'm sure he understood me when I offered to help him." Changmin punches the breakfast table with his fist. "Then he just swam off! I didn't even get a chance to clean his cuts. They're probably infected by now."

 

Kyuhyun appears in disbelief. "Wait, is the Shim Changmin, who aspires to live alone and not deeply involve himself with anyone, worried about some fish slash man who smacked him with his tail after rescuing his sorry fish ass?"

 

"I'm not worried," Changmin snaps. _I can't stop thinking about that damn redhead, that's what!_

 

He walks over to the wide window in his living room and stares out on to the bay. He doesn't care what happens to that merman...he can go get himself gobbled by a shark or get caught in a large fisherman's net.

 

Changmin simply wishes he knew the mysterious creature's name.

 

Kyuhyun comes up behind him and proposes, "How about coming out with Victoria and I tonight? I'll introduce you to some single hotties."

 

Victoria is Kyuhyun's wife and also one of Changmin's friends. He enjoys hanging out with them; they never make him feel like a third wheel. But he has no interest in going out tonight.

 

"No, thanks, Kyu."

 

"Changmin, I worry about you," Kyuhyun indeed looks genuinely concerned. "You need a partner."

 

Snorting, Changmin faces his friend. "I'm happy in my own little bubble. I've got my house with a great view. I can cook for myself. With my sisters married, I am under no obligation to marry and procreate."

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head and grabs his coat off the hook. "You are the oldest young person I know, Changmin. What about sex?"

 

"I hook up when necessary," Changmin went on without missing a beat. "Plus I don't have to worry about the complication of the _morning-after_ and awkwardness until I or may not acclimate living with another person." With a huge eye roll, Kyuhyun bids him good-bye, "If you're finished bitching at me, I'll head out. Talk to you later, old man!"

 

Changmin turns back to the window. _I lead a simple, quiet life. Why would I want to disrupt that now by trying to take care of another person who may or may not turn out to be a disaster?_

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

A few days later, around midnight as he's getting ready for bed, Changmin hears splashing coming from the water. He glides over to the window and opens it. Leaning on the frame to poke his head out, Changmin spots a long merman tail waving at him before slipping back under water.

 

Changmin leaps up in shock, hitting the back of his head on the window. "Argh, ouch! Stupid, merman..."

 

He doesn't even think it through, just runs out of the house and down the trail to the dock. Chest heaving from the jog, Changmin gazes out into the dark water, hoping to catch another glimpse of the merman.

 

_Splash!_

 

Floating only a few feet away, the moonlight casts an ethereal glow upon the merman. Fiery curls and milky skin stretched across those broad shoulders and narrow waist.

 

Changmin quite literally cannot stop staring at those starfish. Why does the merman conceal his pectorals? It’s a shame and a travesty. Changmin considers himself a breast savant (if you will). He’s more than interested in finding out what sort of nipples – size and color – lay behind those ridiculous covers.

 

Changmin shakes himself out of this mental fixation on breasts and focuses on the merman's face when he calls out, "Come closer! Let me see your wrist!"

 

Surprisingly, the merman swims to the dock's edge and lifts his arm obediently. Again, there's that intoxicating trust.

 

Changmin kneels down and gently grasps the merman's elbow. He doesn't notice any open cuts, just minimal scarring. Running a thumb over the red slashes, Changmin pointedly asks, "Did you lick the scars to heal them?"

 

The merman stares expressionlessly at him for a few minutes. Changmin is about to try another dialect, in hopes the creatures will understand him, when the redhead nods slowly.

 

"So, you _do_ understand." Changmin curls his fingers around that wrist. "Do you speak? What's your name?"

 

The merman appears skittish for a bit, like he's about to splash him with his tail and swim off again. Changmin loosens his grip on the creature's wrist so as to not alarm him and reiterates, desperation clear in his tone, "Please, tell me something. I need to know I'm not just crazy and imagining you."

 

The merman's eyes turn gentle as he says in a raspy voice, "Hello."

 

"Hello," Changmin says back.

 

The redhead cocks his head to the side. "Thank you for releasing me the other day. I'm supposed to be more careful but I'm a bit of a bad swimmer and don't pay much attention to my surroundings."

 

"A fish who's a bad swimmer?" Changmin rears his head back in surprise. "How can that be?"

 

The merman shrugs his shapely shoulders. "I don't know. Born this way. I'm not as graceful as the other merpeople. My sister tends to tease me."

 

Changmin finds this terribly endearing. "So, there are many others like you? Here in the bay?"

 

Droplets of water fly off the tips of those red curls as the merman shakes his head. "No. Just me. My family and the others live more out into the sea. I, myself, like to venture into the human world a bit too much. But I've never met one...you're my first."

 

Changmin is honored to have been the one to catch this jewel and silently thanks Kyuhyun for prompting him to try fishing. "Aren't I lucky you stumbled across my hook?"

 

The merman replies with a curious stare and then tugs at his wrist. Changmin hesitates to release him but ultimately does. The creature ducks into the water.

 

Changmin panics at the thought of the merman leaving him so soon. Suddenly, the merman leaps and pulls himself half onto the dock, resting his elbows on the wooden planks.

 

The redhead gives him a naughty grin. "I shouldn't approach you so closely, but you make me curious. I've never seen a human as beautiful as you."

 

Changmin flushes to the root of his hair. "Uh. Thank you."

 

"What do you do?" The merman asks while cradling his chin with his palm and giving Changmin undivided attention. "I've seen so many humans go about their day conducting various tasks. What is your task?"

 

"You mean my job?"

 

"Sure."

 

Changmin answers, "I'm a lyricist."

 

The merman's eyes suddenly glow in the night. "What's that?"

 

"A lyricist is a song writer, a composer of music."

 

The merman's tail flops out of the water and wiggles excitedly. "I love music! I sing all the time!"

 

"Maybe I can hear you sing some time," Changmin suggests with a smile.

 

"Maybe! I like you, human!" the merman laughs so happily. It's the single most adorable laugh Changmin has ever heard.

 

"Are you ever going to give me your name?" He asks thickly, reaching over to touch the merman's hand.

 

The creature gasps and falls back into the water. Changmin rushes to the edge, shouting, "No, don't go! My name is Changmin...I just want to know yours!"

 

A ball of emotion arises within Changmin. He's beginning to adore this creature in ways that has him imagining carrying the merman home and spending his days talking to him for hours on end. The other day, Changmin was set out to catch a fish, and he did. So, now he figures _this_ particular fish belongs to him...it's his catch after all!

 

Changmin realizes this is flawed logic but right now he could not care less.

 

The merman springs back out of the water. Changmin is captivated as he takes in the soft-looking hair and gorgeous upper-body shaped by muscle and natural curves.

 

Waving at him with an apologetic look in his eyes, the merman calls back, "I am called Yunho. I bid you good-night, C-Changmin."

 

Gripping the edge of the dock, Changmin shouts louder, "Will I see you again?"

 

"If you wish."

 

"I do wish."

 

This creature, Yunho, gets another naughty glint in his eyes as the tip of his tail flutters up and down on the water's surface. "Good-bye!"

 

Changmin develops an ache in his gut on his walk back home. He realizes really quickly it's a mixture of arousal and anticipation.

 

_Shit. Just my luck. I meet someone who sparks an genuine interest in me and he doesn't even turn out to be human._

 

Although, the more he thinks about it as he lies in bed, the more he comes to the conclusion that Yunho's non-human qualities are probably why he's so fascinated by him.

 

He falls asleep dreaming of a certain redhead with cute laugh.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

The next day around mid-afternoon, Changmin sits out on the porch of his bedroom upstairs, with his guitar, pen, and paper. Gazing out into the horizon, he strums the guitar strings and taps his foot on the floor. The notes to his new song are there, he's just trying to organize them in his mind.

 

He misses a note when a splash reaches his ears. Yunho is back!

 

Changmin looks over his balcony and spots Yunho floating near the rocky shore where the water hits the ridges below his house.

 

Because of his location, there's no need to travel down the trail and to the dock. Changmin puts on tennis shoes and tracks down a small hill to sit down on a rock near where Yunho attempts wobbly flips in the water.

 

"You really cannot swim all that great, can you?" Changmin comments out loud.

 

Yunho ceases his failing acrobatics to glare and playfully swooshes at the water with his fin, splashing Changmin in the face for the second time since he met him.

 

Though sputtering and cursing, Changmin likes it. Yunho seems to take his blunt honesty in stride and has a fire in him that matches that flame atop of his head. Changmin smiles as he recalls all those scowls the first day he met the merman.

 

"You planning on attacking me with that tail every chance you get?"

 

Yunho's glare turns into an abrupt laugh. "Yes!"

 

Softly, Changmin requests the merman join him on the rock. Without hesitation, Yunho swims closer and raises his arms. "Help me up?"

 

Again, _so much trust_ ; it's making Changmin flare up on the inside.

 

He pulls on Yunho's arms and heaves the merman up on the rock. Yunho sits with his tail curled behind him and faces Changmin. "Thank you!"

 

Sunrays beam down on Yunho’s form, making his entire being sparkle. The tail is such a pretty shade of turquoise that Changmin feels compelled to touch it. Yunho gives him consent, a mix of uncertainty on his pixish countenance.

 

When Changmin's palm strokes over the scaly texture of the fin, he feels Yunho tremble. He whispers, "It's magnificent."

 

Yunho leans back to rest on his elbows and utters the next words in awe, "I love your touches."

 

Eyes widening at the admission, Changmin points out skeptically, "But you eventually swim away every time. I would have thought you hated it."

 

Yunho releases a low moan from the back of his throat. "Not at all. But it does scare me. You make me feels a host of emotions I've never felt before. I don't know how to react but I still crave to be near you."

 

Changmin's heart rate speeds up. "I feel the same way."

 

"Are you excited right now?" Yunho wonders. "Your heartbeat is loud."

 

"You can hear my heart."

 

"Oh yes. May I?"

 

Before Changmin can reply, Yunho has placed a hand over his chest. "I've finally touched a human. Are you hot? You're like fire beneath my fingertips."

 

It's only then that Changmin notices that he forgot to put a shirt on. The afternoons are usually so hot. If he ever sits on the porch, he does so shirtless with only a pair of shorts.

 

Nodding, Changmin places his hand over Yunho's. "Very hot. Your skin is very cool. Feels wonderful."

 

Yunho's cheeks match his hair suddenly and he pulls his hand away. "Would you like a swim then? To cool off?"

 

Changmin eyes the sea; he does enjoy swimming. Deciding to act spontaneously, he toes off his tennis shoes and inquiries, "Is it safe in this area? No sharks?"

 

Yunho's gaze fills with humor. "Oh yes, it's safe. Besides, the sharks are my friends; they won't hurt you if you're with me."

 

_Friends with sharks? Is that even possible? This creature is unreal._

 

Changmin stands and dives into the water where the coolness hits him like a shower of ice. He floats back up to the surface and sees Yunho is no longer sitting upon the rock. He calls out, "Yunho! Where are you?"

 

A fin brushes against his legs, startling him. Then, Yunho's small face perks out of the water, a few inches in front of him. "Hi!"

 

Changmin grins and dives back under, and pops back up a mere hair away from Yunho's face. The merman gasps but doesn't pull back. Changmin glances down at the starfish always clinging to Yunho's chest. "Why do you cover your nipples like this? Is it even comfortable?"

 

Tracing his starfish, Yunho replies, "They are very comfortable. I like to cover them because they protrude and are rather large for a male. It embarrasses me to leave them naked."

 

Fuck. He wants to see them, now more than ever. But he keeps quiet, muscles beginning to ache from the exertion of trying to stay afloat. Yunho senses his discomfort and grabs his arm, dragging him back to the rock.

 

Changmin plops himself back on the rock and pulls Yunho up when he raises his arm in silent request again.

 

They lay back on the rock, staring at one another, taking in the other's body in wonderment. The end of Yunho's fin curls up and drags across Changmin's legs; he shivers in response. The merman bites his lip, curls masking some of the curiosity in his eyes that appears hazel in the sun.

 

Changmin's shorts feel tighter.

 

_How in the living fuck am I finding a fish sexy?_

 

"Yunho, tell me more about your kind," he says in order to distract himself.

 

But as Yunho tells him tales of his childhood, the other merpeople, and the world that exists deep in the trenches of the ocean, Changmin finds everything about this creature distracting.

 

He takes in every word, making noncommittal sounds of agreement or surprise when appropriate. Yet the merman has no idea Changmin is also fantasizing about the idea of taking him home or how deeply he's wishing that they coexisted in the same world.

 

As Yunho laughs at his own story of how he tamed the sharks in the area, Changmin grows sad as he comes to terms with the fact he'll never share a real life with this wondrous person.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Yunho visits him almost every day after that. Changmin becomes used to the daily routine of waking, eating breakfast, going to the market for food, coming back home to write and compose, then spending the evening with Yunho on their rock.

 

Changmin brings meals and snacks with him so Yunho can try the human cuisine. The merman doesn't seem to care for meat; he seems to prefer vegetables and fruits.

 

One time, Yunho asks him, "What were you doing the first day I met you? With that stick and dangerous string?"

 

Changmin blurts out without thinking, "I was trying to catch a fish for dinner."

 

Yunho blanches. "F-Fish for food? I've heard of human doing this for fun and entertainment. My father warns me of this all the time. He tells me horrible tales of human casting huge nets to capture tons of fish for their meals." The merman shudders.

 

Changmin mentally forms a few comforting responses and tactfully settles on, "Think of us as sharks...it's how we get nutrients."

 

Yuno considers this with a cute pursing of his lips before accepting the explanation. "I suppose you have a point. Sharks have been known to attack merpeople too."

 

Changmin relaxes. "For the record, I wouldn't have caught you and made you my meal. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't even know beings like you existed. Actually, to tell you the truth, I haven't eaten fish since I met you."

 

Yunho claps his hands together, overjoyed. "That is so kind, Changmin! Good decision, though. Why would humans eat _fish_ when they have such sweet fruit at their disposal?" He bites into a strawberry for emphasis. Strawberry juice drips from the corner of Yunho's lips and falls on the flesh right above those ridiculously sexy starfish.

 

It's suddenly very difficult to breathe.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

One evening as the sun is setting, Changmin breaks down like a fucking idiot.

 

"Yunho...may I see your nipples?"

 

The merman rolls off the rock with a squeak.

 

_Was that a no?_

 

An embarrassed grin graces Yunho's lips when he emerges. "Sorry...I suppose you can..."

 

Changmin heaves Yunho back on the rock, keeping him close so his fingers don't have to travel very far in order to remove one of the starfish.

 

Those starfish are very clingy, sticking to Yunho's flesh and needing some force to pry them off. Yunho lets out a quiet whimper as one finally pops off. Changmin sets the starfish down on the rock, eyes glued to Yunho's naked pectoral.

 

The dusky areola, erect nub, and soft-looking mound have Changmin's mouth watering. He has to look away so he doesn't do anything that would scare Yunho.

 

The familiar skittish glint is back in the merman's eyes and Changmin quickly places the starfish over the pectoral and watches as the suctions automatically cling back on.

 

"Thank you," Voice thick, Changmin looks up into Yunho's eyes. "You're lovely."

 

Yunho tucks a few tendrils of hair behind his ear. "Really? You are kind."

 

"It's not kindness - it's the truth."

 

For the first time ever, Yunho moves to grasp his hand. They don't say another word until it's late and it's time to say good-bye.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Changmin gets a call from an irritated Kyuhyun.

 

"Where's the song submission you promised me a week ago?"

 

 _Oops._ He's been so preoccupied with Yunho lately that work has taken the backburner.

 

"Well, hello to you too, my friend," Changmin mocks, just to be deliberately difficult.

 

Kyuhyun sighs on the other end. "Changmin. You never leave your place now-a-days. If you're isolating yourself from humanity, I would at least appreciate you getting some work done!"

 

"That's why you're the best producer, Kyu. You care about your songwriters."

 

Kyuhyun rants at him for the next few minutes. Changmin is only half-listening while staring at the shore, awaiting Yunho's arrival.

 

When he spots the turquoise fin, he hastily promises his friend a song by tomorrow morning and hangs up on Kyuhyun, who's in mid-sentence.

 

Changmin grabs his guitar, pen, and notepad, then goes to join his merman.

 

He plays for Yunho that evening, closing his eyes and singing the lyrics that he has so far. Yunho's moves his fin on the rock, in rhythm with the tune, and humming along after catching the pattern of the notes.

 

"It's beautiful, Changmin!" Yunho says afterwards.

 

Changmin hands Yunho the notepad and tells him to sing the lyrics. Sadness and disappointment is reflected back at him.

 

"What's wrong, Red?" He's developed a habit of using this nickname for Yunho on occasion.

 

"I can't read your language." The tip of the turquoise tail circles the water in a forlorn manner.

 

The guitar lay forgotten on the rock, as Changmin decides to use the time to teach Yunho the alphabet and a few words from his song.

 

Kyuhyun only receives parts of a new song the following morning; Changmin fully expects to get fired very soon.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Do you have a partner in your world?" Changmin asks abruptly one night.

 

"A partner?" Yunho forehead wrinkles in confusion.

 

"Yes, someone you love...like go out with, kiss, sleep with."

 

Yunho's eyes lower. "No. I'm alone. I've never found anyone to love in that manner."

 

Changmin craves to go on and demand, "What about me?" but he wisely keeps his mouth shut. Instead, his fingers trace back and forth over the scales of Yunho's fin.

 

Time stops when Yunho adds, "That is, till I met you, Changmin."

 

Before he can talk himself out of it, Changmin finds himself ducking his head to Yunho's level and taking those ripe lips in a searing kiss.

 

Threading a hand in those red curls, Changmin tilts Yunho's head for better access, thrilled when he feels the merman kissing him back.

 

When their tongues meet, Changmin discovers Yunho tastes of the sun and sea, intoxicating and lovely as his beautiful soul.

 

Coming up for air, they remain cheek-to-cheek. "Me too, Red," Changmin whispers.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

When he enters his house in the middle of the night, Kyuhyun is sitting on his couch with his arms folded across his chest.

 

"I saw you by the shore. So this is what you've been up to. You're into bestiality now?"

 

Changmin has Kyuhyun by the cuff of his shirt in an instant. "Don't speak of it that way! You know nothing about Yunho and I!"

 

"Yunho? So it has a name."

 

"He's not an _it_ , shut up!"

 

Kyuhyun jerks back, wrenching Changmin's hands off him. "You're living in a fantasy. What sort of future do you intend to have with that creature?"

 

Changmin storms to the small bar in the corner of the room and pours himself some whiskey. "It's all your damn fault. You knew of their existence, tricked me to discover them, and now look at me! I'm in love with him!" He drowns the shot of alcohol with one swing.

 

"Changmin," Kyuhyun starts, much calmer than before. "You have to cut ties. I wanted you to see one of them because I figured it might shake up your boring life, make you believe in magic and get you out of the rut you've been in. I never imagined it would turn into an obsession with you. It's been months and your work is slacking. I'm saying this as your friend: end it with him. Let him go back to his own life and you can move on with yours. Go out with an actual member of your species, get married, have children. Live a normal life, for fuck's sake!"

 

Changmin keeps his back to his friend. Not even the quench of whiskey can stop the tears filling his eyes.

 

He hears the front door open. Before leaving him alone, Kyuhyun reminds him, "I easily discovered you two together today. If I was a professional fisherman, I'd have Yunho in a net, selling him to some zoo or killed and stuffed to add to my trophy room. You're not only hurting yourself, you're putting that creature in danger too."

 

Waves of nausea knocked the wind out of Changmin as the front door slammed closed.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Changmin stops sitting out on the balcony and stops looking out of the window. In fact, he often spends time in the studio with Kyuhyun, working on lyrics and meeting deadlines better than he ever has at home.

 

After making the conscious decision to stay away from Yunho, Changmin is able to repress and think logically about what's right...something he hasn't done since meeting that merman.

 

" _Red_ ," he mumbles as he flattens himself against the wall near the window, listening to the incessant splashing coming from the water below. "Go swim with the sharks and stay away from me."

 

In the eerie silence of the night, Changmin often hears cries mingled with the clashing of waves against rock.

 

He finds himself crying along with them.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

_"Changmin! What did I do? Changmin!"_

 

He awakens during the night in a cold sweat many months later. He swears he hears Yunho's voice.

 

It can't be. Part of him wonders if all the times with the merman had been a figment of his imagination.

 

Changmin falls back into another restless sleep.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

He goes home alone, clothes reeking of the stench of smoke and cheap perfume. So much for enjoying himself at the club Kyuhyun took him to. Not a single person he met there was worth pursuing. And he's even less interested in a one-night stand at the moment.

 

He showers and dumps himself on the bed, naked as the day he was born. He sleeps for a few hours and gets up with achy muscles, having slept in one position the whole time.

 

He glances at the door of his balcony, debating with himself. He wants a peek. What are the odds of _him_ being out there, waiting?

 

Pretty slim, he reckons. It's been six months since he cut Yunho from his life. The merman must hate Changmin for abandoning him so he's probably many seas away from this place.

 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Changmin makes his way out to the balcony and leans on the railing.

 

He stands there for a long time, praying with each breath he takes that a redhead appears somewhere on the moonlit surface. He gives in to the rising emotion and shouts, "Yunho, I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt you!"

 

The waves seem to roll in and hit the rocks aggressively in response. But not a fin or redhead in sight.

 

_It's too late, idiot. You hurt him! Words don't matter now. Move on._

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Spring turns to fall which then turns into a rather harsh winter. Since being outside is unbearable, Changmin has the fireplace blazing. He lies beside it with the guitar clutched to his chest, lazily strumming to accompany his singing of a melancholy tune.

 

He falls asleep this way and later opens his eyes to a lovely redhead straddling him.

 

His heart skips a beat.

 

"Red," Changmin cries out. "Please, I don't want to wake up. Stay!"

 

The Yunho in his dream is the same as before except for the lack of turquoise fin. This Yunho has long legs with full thighs wrapped around his waist; his imagination usually transforms Yunho into a human so he can easily fantasize about being inside the man.

 

Confident in the security of this familiar dream, Changmin let his hands roam up the long legs to the torso to, finally, the starfish-concealed pectorals. "I need you bare," he says to his merman.

 

"It's difficult to forgive you," Yunho holds back tears and sets a stubborn jaw.

 

"I know, I'm an ass."

 

Yunho doesn't disagree or pull away. Not a flint of skittishness in his eyes, Yunho peels the starfish off his chest.

 

Changmin reaches up to cup the soft mounds, groaning at the erotic sight of the loveliest male to exist sitting on top of him. He almost weeps as to how Yunho can trust him so explicitly once again.

 

Swelling to overwhelming hardness in his pants, Changmin pinches the dusky nipples and pleads, "C'mere, Red."

 

Yunho bends his head, lips parted tantalizingly. "I need you kiss me again, like you did back on our rock many months ago. I never forgot you. Your rejection hurt me more than that fishing wire ever did. I'm only here for tonight because licking my own wounds didn't help this time. Make it better now."

 

Changmin takes the request to heart, deeply touched by every word dream Yunho said.

 

He bolts up and takes the lips he misses so much, hands kneading the mounds in his palms, feeling the nipples harden. He eventually takes each one in his mouth, nipping and listening for any objections from Yunho.

 

There is none. On the contrary, Yunho holds him closer, rubbing his growing hardness against Changmin's chest. Their passion flares like the fire roaring beside their writhing bodies.

 

This dream seems so vivid, so fucking real. It, simultaneously, terrifies and arouses Changmin.

 

Breath uneven, Yunho runs a hand over Changmin's abs, down his legs, and back up to grasp the cock nestled in dark curls.

 

Changmin is burning up and dies when Yunho takes him in his mouth. The redhead bobs his head on his cock causing the fuses in his brain to rupture. "Red, oh lovely, yes!"

 

On the edge of coming, Changmin uses all his willpower to pop himself out of Yunho's mouth and beg, "Sit on my face, Red."

 

Yunho moans and scoots up Changmin's body, halting when Changmin encompasses his cock in his mouth. "Ohhhh, I love being human!"

 

Changmin hums around Yunho's cock, hallowing his cheeks to suck even harder. Pulling off the heavy cock in his mouth but still stroking, Changmin tells his merman, "Come in my mouth."

 

Yunho cries out in pleasure, thrusts his hips for a while then comes. Changmin swallows it all while prodding the rings of Yunho's hole with a dry finger. He cannot hurt him again...

 

Flipping them over, reversing their positions so that he's on top, Changmin kisses Yunho, gently pulling on the fiery tendrils on Yunho's soft cheek. "I'll be back...I promise this time."

 

He leaps up to the go to the bedroom, where he grabs a bottle of lube. Yunho is sitting up, admiring his human legs when Changmin returns. He tilts his head up and smiles, "You did come back."

 

Changmin nearly chokes with emotion. Kneeling down, he nudges Yunho to lie on his back and he squirts an abundant amount of lube on himself. Then lies on his stomach, eye-level with Yunho's entrance, in order to properly prepare the man for his girth.

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Changmin thinks he's stepped into an alternate dimension. Because no dream has ever blended so well with reality, swarming his senses with such tangible feelings. When he pushes a finger inside the tightest, warmest hole and hears Yunho moan, Changmin squeezes his eyes shut, needing this fantasy to last forever.

 

"Changmin...it's not a dream. This isn't a dream," Yunho is gazing down at him, eyes hooded and pleading.

 

"Yes, it is. You couldn't come back to me! Not after what I did to you!" Changmin nearly yells, relentlessly pushing another finger inside Yunho.

 

"I would. I do forgive you," Yunho sinks a hand into Changmin's coal-colored hair. "Just continue making me feel human for one night."

 

Unable to prolong it a minute longer, Changmin settles between Yunho's knees, slowly guides himself into Yunho.

 

Their cries and whimpers blend together, creating fantastic musical notes with each thrust. Neck exposed, Changmin bends his head to kiss it. He grabs Yunho's hands, lifting the former bloodied wrist and kisses each scar he put on that tender flesh.

 

"Not only tonight...stay, Yunho," Changmin deliriously utters as he pounds into the warm body underneath his. "Stay forever...I'll make you feel human every night."

 

Yunho wraps his legs tightly around Changmin, thrusting up and taking him in deeper. "I wish I could...stay with you..."

 

Changmin drives them to completion and falls on top of Yunho, still cradled by his human legs.

 

_What a dream._

 

He sleeps more soundly than he has in months.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Changmin feels spent and sore when he awakens before dawn. _The dream._

 

Unshed tears burn his eyes. Why did he have to wake up?

 

There's sudden distinct splashing outside. Changmin darts to the balcony, undeterred by his nudity. His heart jumps to his throat at the vision below him...

 

On their rock stands Yunho, actually _standing_ , on human legs. The very same legs that were wrapped around him last night.

 

Changmin's world tilts and he somehow finds himself hiking down to their rock, gaze wide and steady on Yunho's curvy form.

 

"I have to go back, Changmin."

 

Yunho's words drift over him and make it hard for him to speak. He croaks, "No. I caught you...you were _my_ catch! I fucked it up but you came back. And last night, unbelievably, wasn't a dream. You wouldn't have come back if you didn't care enough for me to forgive me treating you so poorly. You love me! You can't go back!"

 

He sees Yunho's shoulder tense as the merman says, "I have to. The deal is temporary. I turn back into a merman when the sun rises."

 

Changmin is relieved that's all that will happen. He approaches and takes Yunho by the shoulders. The man instantly almost falls over if Changmin hadn't caught him. Yunho chuckles and wiggles a leg, "I'm still not used to these things. I'm afraid I'm as bad a walker as I am a swimmer."

 

Affection seizes Changmin and compels him to kiss Yunho on the corner of his lips. "It's okay if you're a merman. We just need to be more careful about meeting. I was worried about you getting captured if we stayed in sight..."

 

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

 

"I was scared," Changmin admits. "We're from two different worlds, how would we make it work? But I see it doesn't matter now. How about I set up a gigantic pool in my backyard and put you in it. I'll barricade my property so no one - "

 

Yunho is shaking his head. "You deserve to be with one of your own kind."

 

"My own kind are assholes."

 

Yunho opens his mouth to say something when his throat caught in a pained gasp. Changmin scrabbled for the man as he sinks on to the rock, tumbling over and plunging into the water.

 

"Yunho!"

 

The merman is nowhere in sight. _No!_

 

Dropping his jacket on the rock, Changmin dives into the freezing water. If the water is cold in the summer, it's like the Arctic in the winter. The water stabs at his flesh like blades.

 

Nevertheless, his motivation to rescue Yunho spurs him to search the dark waters. When he emerges, light is filling the sky; it's dawn.

 

"Y-Yunho! Yunho, w-where are you?" He shouts, voices chattering from the cold.

 

At that moment, a turquoise fin wraps around him and tugs him towards the rock. He swallows a lot of water in the process because Yunho's balance is shitty. He's grateful when his body finally hits the ragged rock. As he's pulling his body up, the fin rises out of the water and smacks him in the face then on the butt.

 

"What the hell, Red?"

 

Yunho is scowling, arms folding over his starfishes. "I'm a fish! Why would you dive into freezing water to rescue a fish from water?"

 

"Well, e-excuse me for c-caring about your wellbeing!" Fuck, his body temperature is dropping.

 

Yunho snaps, fiery curls sparking with anger, "Why couldn't you have shown such care months ago? I came here every day, wishing you would say something to me. I cried and wondered how I wrecked our friendship. Don't worry about other humans catching me, I'm crafty!"

 

"Crafty, like how you got caught on my tiny fishing hook?" Changmin winces after saying that. Way to fuck this up even more.

 

Yunho grits his teeth and growls. "You bothersome human!" And he indignantly swims away, splashing Changmin in the face.

 

"Damn it, Red! Come back and visit me! You love me, and I love you!"

 

The merman keeps getting further and further away when, at a measurable distance, he dives in, sticks his fin up in the air, and jabs it in Changmin's direction.

 

Mouth open, Changmin is fairly sure he's been given the fish-version of the middle finger.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Regardless of the merman's ire, Changmin wakes up for the second time with the redhead straddling him. His hands are placed on human legs and Changmin knows now, this isn't a dream.

 

"You came back."

 

A huff. "I did."

 

"You're human again," Changmin indicates towards the legs unnecessarily.

 

A sigh. "I made another deal; I get a few nights in this form."

 

Changmin smiles. "You love me."

 

Yunho looks away. "You love me too."

 

"Indeed I do, Red." Changmin rolls them over on the bed and dives into this creature of the sea and sunshine.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Yunho visits are random and unpredictable. The merman never tells him when he's coming back but he always does.

 

Tonight, Changmin is kneeling behind Yunho, pounding into him at an unforgivable pace.

 

"That it, Red, fuck me back," Changmin eggs on as he grasps a handful of red curls in his hand, pulling only as much as he knows Yunho loves.

 

Thrusting and rolling his hips on Changmin's cock, Yunho groans longingly, then babbles something inaudible.

 

"What'd you say?"

 

"I s-said my father wants me to s-stop coming here."

 

Changmin slows his thrust. "Well, he just needs to know that's not possible. I'll talk to him if I have to."

 

Yunho inhales sharply as Changmi's cock drags out to the tip then plunges back inside. "He also w-wants me to marry a m-mermaid he's chosen for me."

 

_Fuck, what?_

 

Changmin released Yunho's hair and digs his fingers into the soft flesh of his hips. "No. Refuse."

 

"I - I can't for much longer..."

 

That response makes Changmin slam into Yunho harder, shutting the merman up completely and hopefully fucks the idea of marrying a mermaid out of his mind. As he feels Yunho's hole fluttering around cock, Changmin lifts Yunho up to his knees so his chest is pressed against Yunho's back.

 

"You're _my_ catch!" Changmin moans, speeding up his thrusts again.

 

"Yes, yours, you silly human!" Yunho reaches behind to hold the back of Changmin's neck as they grind together.

 

They cling on to each other until a little before dawn before Changmin walks Yunho back to the sea.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Days pass with no sight of Yunho.

 

Changmin distracts himself with work and hanging out with Kyuhyun and Victoria.

 

At night, he's unable to sleep well, growing antsy wondering if Yunho will be popping by or not.

 

On the seventh day, Changmin goes down to their rock, bundled up in a coat and scarf. He doesn't care about freezing his ass off, he'll wait for Yunho to come back to him.

 

At twilight, the familiar turquoise tail appears, slapping against the ridges of the rock. Changmin immediately makes a grab for the fin and jerks it. Yunho's pixie face pops out of the water to protest, "Hey! Why'd you do that?"

 

"Why haven't I seen you in days?" Changmin resorts bitterly.

 

In reply, Yunho leaps half onto the rock, signally for Changmin to help the rest of the way. Changmin pulls the merman into his lap, stroking the tousled hair tenderly.

 

Yunho remains silent for a long while. Whatever news the merman comes with, it cannot be good.

 

"Changmin, you will not see me for a long time. My life is getting complicated. I need to take care of things..."

 

He was right. Not good at all.

 

Changmin requires some reassurance to quell his temper and give him peace of mind...

 

"Will you marry a mermaid?"

 

"No."

 

"A merman?"

 

"No."

 

"Trap yourself with family issue so that I never see you again?"

 

"Absolutely not."

 

Changmin _wants_ to argue and demand that Yunho never leave him. But he fears making Yunho angry, making him leave even sooner. If Yunho has obligations in his world, there's nothing Changmin can do about it. Besides, Yunho never said he _won't_ see him again, just _not for a long time_ , whatever that means.

 

Realistically, he knows his human time with Yunho is limited. So, no point in bringing up a useless argument or wasting this precious time together...

 

Changmin cradles Yunho's head to his chest while also brushing the merman's silken hair with his fingers.

 

_Good-bye for now, but not forever, Red._

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

For the first few months after Yunho's departure, Changmin passes by the window on some days and sees his merman in the far distance, waving at him. This gives him lots of hope, at least in the beginning.

 

Then, the random appearances and waving suddenly stop.

 

 _A long time_ is _too_ damn long. And hope can only last so long before it fizzles out.

 

Without Yunho's on and off presence in his life, Changmin is able to focus on his career. This newfound focus and ambition steers his lyricist career in a different direction when he is asked to audition for a solo position in Kyuhyun's music company.

 

The producers love his voice and he's signed almost on the spot. Changmin is in a daze for a few days after.

 

He's going to be a solo artist!

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

A year goes by, and not a day passes that he doesn't miss Yunho. Everything reminds him of the redhead: the sound of running water, the various fruits at the market, the color turquoise...he still cannot stomach eating fish.

 

Whenever he finds himself feeling nostalgic, Changmin treks to their rock and lies upon it to daydream of a life they could have had together.

 

His solo career quickly gains popularity and Changmin starts spending more time in the city, renting an apartment there and using his house by the bay as a weekend getaway.

 

Changmin is strumming his guitar in the studio one day, hiding from some eager fans touring the company building, when he hears it...

 

A singing voice that wavers with the strongest emotion and warmest melody. It draws him to it, like a fishing pole reels in a fish.

 

Walking into the room next to his personal studio, Changmin lays eyes on the singer who's captivated him and his world begins spinning.

 

Fiery, red hair and a small face, dressed in leather pants and a wide, off-the-shoulder sweater. Yunho, his merman from the past, is standing right before him, finally singing for him.

 

Once his deep, raspy voice lingered on the last note of the song, Yunho opens his eyes and greets Changmin with a naughty titter, "Hi, there."

 

In a stupor, he walks over to the redhead, mildly frightened it's all a hallucination. Voice strangled with disbelief and overwhelming emotion, Changmin replies, "Hi back, Red."

 

Beaming, Yunho steps forward and unexpectedly trips, knocking Changmin to the ground. "Oh no! I'm so sorry! These legs...I'll never get used to them!"

 

With a grunt, Changmin slides his hand down Yunho's upper thighs. "Will I ever see that fin again?"

 

Yunho lifts a hand to his cheek, touching Changmin with a gentle familiarity. "I chose to sacrifice my world, a world with my family and friends, to be here with you. So, no."

 

"Why?" Changmin's voice thick with love. "Why would you do that?"

 

Yunho shrugs. "Because I fell in love with you. Did you miss me?"

 

Changmin kisses Yunho's nose. "What do you think?"

 

"I think you missed me."

 

They hear a door slam shut and look up simultaneously. Kyuhyun is standing over them with a thunderous expression on his face. "Changmin, stop hitting on your new partner!"

 

Yunho scurries to his feet, wobbling dangerously. Changmin sits up, not bothering to conceal his shock. "My partner?"

 

Giving him an impatient scowl, Kyuhyun sneers, "Don't you listen to me when I talk to you? I asked you a week ago if you'd like to try a duo act. You said yes. And just yesterday I told you a rookie is coming to audition with you for the part. I thought Yunho looked like he suited you best out of all the newbies."

 

 _Wow, I really don't listen to Kyuhyun._ Changmin's blank look has Kyuhyun cussing profusely.

 

Yunho is beside the recording mic, tracing the structure in confusion and awe. When he catches Changmin staring, he grins. "Would you like to show me around the studio, Changmin? I got lost trying to find this room earlier."

 

The happiest he's ever been, Changmin springs to his feet and offers an arm to the former merman. "Of course! To avoid that kind of thing happening again, I'm not letting you out of my sight!"

 

Kyuhyun stares at them, eyes bugging, stunned by Changmin's swift attachment and loyalty probably.

 

"I'm never getting lost again, promise." Yunho gets on his tiptoes and whispers in his ear, "I'm still wearing those starfishes by the way."

 

Changmin's legs feel like jelly as they stroll through the company halls. _Together, in their own world._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The end. Thanks for reading! It turned into an AU with an ending twist on canon. I hope you enjoyed this crack idea I took and ran with over the course of two days. Comments are appreciated! :)


End file.
